After years of rumours, it seems more likely than ever that Apple will introduce a foldable smartphone this year as part of a shake-up of its entire iPhone line-up this September.
9News.com.au has received "dummy" mock-ups of the next iPhones, produced by factories in China using leaked specifications from within Apple's supply chain.
These "dummy" models are built to allow third-party case manufacturers to build accessories for the iPhone in readiness for its release.
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Apple's biggest competitor in the smartphone business is Samsung, a company which released a "foldable" smartphone - the Samsung Galaxy Fold almost seven years ago, and as is always the case in this market, since then rumours of an Apple foldable phone have been consistent.
However, what those rumours lacked was any substantiation, something we now have with the existence of a dummy mock-up of a foldable iPhone device.
These mock-up models have reliably showcased the iPhone ahead of its release for many years now, meaning there's a strong reliability to this evidence.
Perhaps just as interesting, though not as headline-grabbing, is the lack of a standard iPhone 18 model. Last September, Apple released the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, along with the iPhone Air.
This year, it appears Apple will switch its September launch event to the premium range of iPhones, with just an iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone to be released.
Both the Pro model devices look to continue the exact specifications of the previous generation; any improvement in the processing power, performance, battery life, and camera specifications is unable to be gleaned from these mock-up models.
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An iPhone Ultra - a possible name for Apple's foldable phone - features the ultra-thin design and construction launched last year with the iPhone Air, but in two halves. Critically, it has a design more akin to a passport (with a similar aspect to the Microsoft Duo device) rather than a traditional smartphone that opens like a book.
This design allows the "opened" format to be an aspect ratio more useful for watching video content as well as operating apps side by side.
A dual-camera system appears on the back, a step up from what was launched on the iPhone Air last year, and there also appear to be speakers top and bottom, something the iPhone Air was criticised for not having.
By the time Apple is able to announce this phone and bring it to market, Samsung will be on its eighth generation of Galaxy Fold. Meanwhile, Motorola continues its flip-folding Razr smartphone models, and Oppo just released its foldable Find N6 into Australia.
This year is shaping up as a battle of foldable products, and while Apple isn't first to market, far from it, like with many other products before it, the tech giant may well define a market segment and create a new demand which all its competitors may in fact benefit from.
Whatever the case, I'm now confident in calling it - Apple will release a foldable iPhone in 2026, what it's called we most certainly don't know.
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